Ohio: Iranian millionaire and adult children get food stamps, Medicaid

He boasts that his companies developed multi-million dollar properties across the globe – from St. Lucia to Southern California to the Middle East.

His sprawling, 8,000 square-foot home in Ohio, complete with horses and an in-ground swimming pool, and the sports cars attest to the life-long success of Ali Pascal Mahvi.

Yet there he was, waiting his turn, a prince becoming a pauper, asking for food stamps in little Geauga County.

And, he got what he asked for. For himself, his wife, and their three adult children.

For two years, the family was handed about $300 a month in government food stamps. They also wanted help to pay their gas and electric bills. And Medicaid. They needed – and got – Medicaid.

But to law enforcement, this poverty was all a ruse. While getting welfare, prosecutors say Mahvi had millions in the bank.

Detectives are now looking at Mahvi’s myriad bank accounts, trying to piece together his family’s total worth as they investigate potential theft as well as Medicaid and welfare fraud charges.

“It’s outrageous to see a situation where somebody is living in a house almost worth a million dollars, a horse barn, driving luxury cars, have millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts and here they are accepting this type of assistance,” said Geauga County Prosecutor James R. Flaiz.

“Certainly, they were very good at manipulating the system.”

Mahvi, reached by phone Wednesday, adamantly denied any wrongdoing. He said he is “not a wealthy man” and that the investigation “is all a misunderstanding.”

“If you don’t like the [food stamp] system, change it,” said Mahvi, 65. “I can borrow a hundred million dollars from friends and still get food stamps.”

Neither Mahvi nor his wife, Caryl, has been charged with any crime. The investigation is ongoing.

According to old news reports, Mahvi is the son of Abolfath Mirza Mahvi, a Prince Royal of Iran and founder of M. Group Resorts, a resort development company.

To welfare officials, the Mahvis painted a picture of financial ruin and desperation inside their expansive home.

The family told county workers that they were surviving on the help of church donations and loans from friends. Records show the family received two personal loans – one in 2014 and another in February – totaling $25,400.

But according to the affidavit compiled by Geauga County investigators, the family has at least 14 bank accounts with a combined value of more than $4.2 million. Those funds were not disclosed when Mahvi applied for benefits, officials said.

They noted typical expenses for affluent families: a $4,600 mortgage payment, $567 for cell phones, $200 meals at local restaurants and $350 for cable TV. And there were stops for tanning sessions and Starbucks. Mahvi did not deny the household expenses, but said his lifestyle is relative to others.

“It was our right to apply [for food stamps] and I applied,” he said.

Investigators say that while Mahvis were receiving government assistance, their bank records show the family’s monthly net income ranged from at least $3,200 to more than $8,500. Mahvi said the money came as loans or donations from friends and cannot be counted as income, according to food stamp rules.

When Mahvi initially filed for food stamps in April 2014, he told the county that his total net income after taxes and housing costs was zero and that his resources – cash, savings and checking accounts – were less than $100, records shows.

In June 2014, the Mahvis filed a second application for Medicaid, records show. Mahvi wrote that in the next year he expected to earn more than $300,000 from his company, Idria Energy, and his Caribbean resort interest.

His wife claimed income of $1,200 in rental fees and $1,700 in “other income.” That income, investigators said, was not disclosed when the family filed for food stamps.

A year later, in April 2015, the family re-applied for Medicaid and again, claimed zero income. The application was approved for one year.

During the investigation, detectives say they uncovered what appears to be “structuring” bank transactions by the family. Investigators say six deposits totaling $30,000 were made in increments under $10,000.

For example, on Feb. 4, the family deposited $4,000 at 2:55 p.m. About two minutes later, $6,000 was deposited. Similar dual transactions were made in April and May, each minutes apart, records show.

Transactions over $10,000 require banks to file forms with the government under the Bank Secrecy Act.

“He doesn’t live in my neighborhood and he doesn’t have to deal with the kind of things I have to deal with,” said one woman, who receives government assistance. “That upsets me very badly. I think he should have to go to jail.”

Muslims, refugees, illegals and legal immigrants are plundering American taxpayers in every state across the U.S. – more examples here.

7 thoughts on “Ohio: Iranian millionaire and adult children get food stamps, Medicaid”

Are you not concerned with this Googoo County in Ohio? The County GOV, Prosecutor & lackeys were either being paid off, or are just Muslim-huggers. Wait, Muslims get right off their First Class Air Flight, & go into an Appointed GOV Position. Googoo County, Ohio is the NEW AMERICA, I hate it.

All muslims feel they are owed a “JIZYA” from the American DHIMMIS. The koran teaches that they conquer a country by Hijra (immigration as a weapon of war).
But not only muslims, I observed a couple buying a big cart of groceries and paying with the EBT cards, then in the parking lot they loaded into a brand new, highly customized Cadillac Escalade worth about $75,000.

I find great comfort in knowing that there REALLY IS a God…. These cretin thieves and murderers will meet their GREAT EQUALIZER!!! It’s beyond all imagination how they actually think they are “good” people. There is actually a scripture reference in the HOLY Bible that says, “And God shall LAUGH at them….” The people he is “laughing at” are screaming in HELL fire! Just off the record, I can think of just a few deviants and hate-mongers who might qualify for that kind of judgment–I’LL BET YOU CAN THINK OF SOMEONE TOO!!! HE WHO LAUGHS LAST–LAUGHS BEST!!!!!